The new boys in blue?
First motorist prosecuted after Traffic Officer complaint
A motorist has become the first driver on the region’s motorways to be prosecuted after a complaint by Highways Agency Traffic Officers.
Friendly - but will they stay that way?
He was travelling clockwise near junction 22 of the M60 between Oldham and Ashton at around 8.20pm on November 9. A patrol of Highways Agency Traffic Officers was carrying out a rolling road block to allow contractors ahead to safely cone off the outside lane for roadworks.
Staff at the HA’s North West Regional Control Centre at Newton-le-Willows had set a series of signs above the lane warning drivers to switch lanes and slow down as well as the red crosses warning of the lane closure ahead. However, the driver ignored these and was then reported by the Traffic Officers to Greater Manchester Police.
The driver was fined £60 and three penalty points were added to his driving licence at the magistrates’ court hearing in March.
Dave Ryder, Network Operations Manager for the North West Traffic Office Service, said, “This case will raise awareness of the powers of Highways Agency Traffic Officers and hopefully strongly influence drivers to observe the directions given by them when engaged in the direction of traffic and in the management of incidents.
“Traffic Officers’ duties include the setting of signs and signals and effecting closures and directing traffic in order to ensure the safety of the public, themselves and other roadworkers.
“Drivers therefore need to understand they run the risk of prosecution, which includes the imposition of penalty points on their licence, which could lead to a driving ban, should they fail to heed signs and or Traffic Officers’ instructions.”
No one here at PH disputes the importance of roadworker safety, or the good work done by Traffic Officers in general. Nevertheless, what might this lead to, and might we need to be a lot more wary of the yellow and black vehicles one day…
Er, really? I want to know more about this. What sort of evidence was presented? Clearly someting good to take the word of a couple of blokes in a Shogun who have not had to pass any qualifications in awareness of traffic laws, or sworn any oaths.
Either than or the defendants lawyer needs shooting.
When a lane is closed on a motorway showing the red 'X' it is invariabley far too early, often a couple of miles at least.
Again, this has nothing to do with safety whatsoever - just another way to make easy money to fund pointless jobs that are so well loved by the labour government.
Er, really? I want to know more about this. What sort of evidence was presented? Clearly someting good to take the word of a couple of blokes in a Shogun who have not had to pass any qualifications in awareness of traffic laws, or sworn any oaths.
Either than or the defendants lawyer needs shooting.
totaly agree! the scope of their "opinions" is limitless!
Dont think it will happen, only time will tell.....
And yes I have seen lane closure signals, moved into the now congested open lanes only to find 2 miles down the road that there isnt a lane closure at all.....
Er, really? I want to know more about this. What sort of evidence was presented? Clearly someting good to take the word of a couple of blokes in a Shogun who have not had to pass any qualifications in awareness of traffic laws, or sworn any oaths.
Either than or the defendants lawyer needs shooting.
This is the same as a police officer saying he saw you do something in court eg jumping a red light but does not have it on camera.Another example is you saw the bloke in the dock assault mr x,although this is not caught on camera you saw it and under oath give evidence that could lead to the person being prosucuted even though you are not trained in anyway or a police officer.
Er, really? I want to know more about this. What sort of evidence was presented? Clearly someting good to take the word of a couple of blokes in a Shogun who have not had to pass any qualifications in awareness of traffic laws, or sworn any oaths.
Either than or the defendants lawyer needs shooting.
As I understand it they have been trained in their job and the powers that come with it... And part of their job is the saftey of road users and workers. This guy was ignoring warnings and therefore being a danger to people who were working on the road. NOT some phantom "debris in road" but a real live obstacle. I would expect them to have the power to present evidence against the driver in this sort of situation. Be that verbal or otherwise.
I've not ignored the red X ever since one flashed up on the gantry ahead and as I changed lane and came around the corner in the m'way I saw just beyond was a large chunk of metal. I think it was originally connected to a HGV trailer to stop cars going underneath. If i'd hit that or tried to swerve around it later than I did, I think it might have been messy...
Boosted.
Are these speed limits mandatory or advisory, seeing as they are not in red circles?
Normally advisory if green mandatory if red.
Hmmm...I always understood them to be wholly advisory unless ringed by a red circle, a-la the overheads on the monitored stretches of the M25 and M42.
Forums | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff